1. Technical Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to audio encoding/decoding, and more particularly, to an audio encoding method and apparatus capable of increasing the number of bits required to encode an actual spectral component by reducing the number of bits required to encode envelope information of an audio spectrum in a limited bit range without increasing complexity and deterioration of restored sound quality, an audio decoding method and apparatus, a recording medium and a multimedia device employing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
When an audio signal is encoded, additional information, such as an envelope, in addition to an actual spectral component may be included in a bitstream. In this case, by reducing the number of bits allocated to encoding of the additional information while minimizing loss, the number of bits allocated to encoding of the actual spectral component may be increased.
That is, when an audio signal is encoded or decoded, it is required to reconstruct the audio signal having the best sound quality in a corresponding bit range by efficiently using a limited number of bits at a specifically low bit rate.